The Holy Spirit In Jude – Keep Yourselves In The Love Of God

LNB-23

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The Gulf War captivated Americans.  Remember how it broke out during Wednesday Prayer Meeting?  We all rushed home glued to our sets….

 

Do you remember the fantastic shot on TV of an F-117A Stealth Fighter putting a bomb down a 3’ square air conditioning duct atop a skyscraper?

 

How did he keep the bomb in the line of the target?

 

Smart weapons!  That’s how.  Laser guided….a laser is shined on the target, the missile is sent.  It locks onto the target and boom!

 

Look with me at Jude (v.21).  This book divides into two parts. (v.1-19 (Neg. = devoid of the Holy Spirit & v.20-25 (Post) = praying in the Holy Spirit.

 

What Love is NOT

 

Now, let’s note what being in the love is not.

Jude 19 sums this up: Worldly minded – devoid of the Holy Spirit.

 

Jude 4 Ungodly – not living holy lives.

graceðlicentiousness = overemphasis grace to point licentiousness Deny Master and Lord = hatred to lordship.

Jude 5          Not believe = lack simple faith.

Jude 6-7      Gross immorality = loss of purity.

Jude 8-10    Reject authority = rejection rules

Jude 11-15  Denied godly salvation (Cain) – Bloodless sacrifice! Reject God’s

way.

Works father of human achievement. Denied godly separation

(Balaam)

– die death, not live life. (Num. 22-25). Denied by service (Korah) –

rebel (Num. 16)

Jude 16       Grumblers = inner seething (Apostates – traveled on road; gave

self; – perished.)

Fault Finders = outward attackers

         Lustful = inward/outward sensuality

Jude 18       Mockers = Belittling God’s greatness.

 

Jude isn’t alone.  Warnings of apostasy abound in the Word of God.

 

A Denial of the Truth

There will be a denial of the truth within the so-called church of Jesus Christ.  In fact, the apostasy of the end times is basically a series of denials.  There will be ….

 

 

A DENIAL OF DIVINE POWER (2 Tim. 3:4-5)

Men will be “traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it…”

 

A DENIAL OF CHRIST (2 Peter 2:1)

The false prophets of the apostasy will be “denying the Lord that bought them…”

 

A DENIAL OF CHRIST’S RETURN (2 Peter 3:3-4)

“…there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

 

A DENIAL OF THE FAITH (1 Tim. 4:1)

“…in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to…doctrines of demons.”

 

A DENIAL OF SOUND DOCTRINE (2 Tim. 4:3-4)

“…the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but, after their own lusts, shall they heap to themselves (false) teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

 

A DENIAL OF THE SEPARATED LIFE (2 Tim. 3:1-2)

“…in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers…”

 

A DENIAL OF FREEDOM IN CHRISTIANITY (1 Tim. 4:3)

There will be a reversion to legalism.  Some shall teach doctrines “forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving…”

 

A DENIAL OF MORALS (Jd. 18-19)

“…they (the Apostles) told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.  These are they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.”

 

Strange as it may seem, those denials are going to come within the framework of Christianity.  We are well aware that many of them are already occurring in what we know as theological liberalism.

 

Now, back to verse 3 Faith, verse 20 Holy Faith. What is faith? Centers in Revelation of God in Christ.

 

WHAT IS THE FAITH IN CHRIST?

 

IT’S THE BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF CHRIST

 

• Virgin Birth (supernatural) (Matt. 1:22-23).

• Virtuous Life (sinless) (2 Cor. 5:21)
• Vicarious Death (substitutionary) Heb. 9:26 or Col. 2:14???
• Bodily Resurrection Heb. 2:14
• Triumphant Assumption Phil. 21: 9-11
• Victorious Succession Mark 16:19, Col. 2:15
• Visible Return (pre-millennial) 1 Thess. 4:16-18

 

Let’s note two things:

• Keep yourselves
• In the love of God

 

Keep = Obedient faith.

• John 14-15.
• Matthew 28.

 

Keep = Obedient Faith

• Staying within signal.
• Staying on target.

 

2 Co. 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death,

Heb. 2:3. If we neglect so great salvation;

 

• To watch over, guard,Mt. 27:36; in a deeper sense to keep, to observe, give heed to, Jn. 9:16; 1 Tim. 6:14.
• Matt. 19:17. Keep the commandments.
• Matt. 23:3. Whatsoever they bid you observe, (that) observe.
• Matt. 27:36. They watched him there;
• Matt. 27:54. They that were with him, watching Jesus,
• Matt. 28:4. For fear of him the keepersdid shake,
• Matt. 28:20. Teaching them to observeall things
• Mark 7:9. That ye may keep your own tradition.
• John 2:10. Thou hast kept the good wine until now.
• John 8:51. If a man keep my saying,
• John 8:52. Thou sayest, If a man keep my saying,
• John 8:55. But I know him, and keep his saying.
• John 9:16. Because he keepeth not the Sabbath day.
• John 12:7. Of my burying hath she kept this.
• John 14:15. If ye love me, keep my commandments.
• John 14:21. And keepeth them, he it is that loveth me:
• John 14:23. If a man love me, he will keep my words:
• John 14:24. Loveth me not keepeth not my sayings:

·        John 15:10. If ye keep my commandments, even as I have kept my Father’s

• John 15:20. If they have kept my saying, they will keep your’s also.
• John 17:6. And they have kept thy word.
• John 17:11. Holy Father, keep through thine own.
• John 17:12. I kept them in thy name:
• John 17:15. Shouldest keep them from the evil.
• Acts 12:5. Peter therefore was kept in prison:
• Acts 12:6. The keepers before the door kept the
• Acts 15:5. To command (them) to keep the law of
• Acts 15:24. (Ye must) be circumcised, and keep the law:
• Acts 16:23. Charging the jailer to keep them safely:
• Acts. 21:25. That they observe no such thing,
• Acts. 24:23. He commanded a centurion to keep Paul (lit, that Paul be kept)
• Acts 25:4. That Paul should be kept at Caesarea.
• Acts 25:21. When Paul had appealed to be reserved.—I commanded him to be kept till
• 1 Co. 7:37. That he will keep his virgin, doeth well.
• 2 Co. 11:9. In all (things) I have kept (myself).
• 2 Co. 5:23. Be preserved blameless unto the coming
• 1 Tim. 5:22. Keep thyself pure.
• 1 Tim. 6:14. That thou keep (this) commandment
• 2 Tim. 4:7. I have kept the faith:
• James 1:27. (and) to keep himself unspotted from the world.
• James 2:10. Whosoever shall keep the whole law,
• 1 Peter 1:4. Reserved in heaven for you,
• 2 Peter 2:4. To be reserved unto judgment;
• 2 Pet. 3:9. And to reserve the unjust unto the day
• 2 Peter. 17. To whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever.
• 2 Pet. 3:7. reserved unto fire against the day of
• 1 John 2:3. If we keep his commandments.
• 1 John 2:4. And keepeth not his commandments,
• 1 John 2:5. But whosoever keepeth his word, in him
• 1 John 3:22. Because we keep his commandments,
• 1 John 3:24. And he that keepeth his commandments
• 1 John 5:2. And keep his commandments.
• 1 John 5:3. That we keep his commandments.
• John 5:18. Begotten of God keepeth himself, and
• Jude 1. And preserved in Jesus Christ,
• Jude 6. And the angels which kept not their-he hath reserved
• in everlasting chains.
• Jude 13. To whom is reserved the blackness
• Jude 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God,
• Rev. 1:3. And keep those things which are written (word)
• Rev. 2:26. And keepeth my works unto the end. (works)
• Rev. 3:3. And hold fast, and repent (obey).
• Rev. 3:8. And hast kept my word, and hast not
• Rev. 3:10. Thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee
• Rev. 12:17. Which keep the commandments of God
• Rev. 14:12. They that keep the commandments of faith.
• Rev. 16:15. That watcheth, and keepeth his garments.
• Rev. 22:7. Blessed (is) he that keepeth the sayings (obey)
• Rev. 22:9. And of them which keep the sayings of this book:
• Matt. 5:15. And put it under a bushel,
• Matt. 12:18. I will put my spirit upon him,
• Matt. 14:3. Put (him) in prison for Herodias’ sake,
• Matt. 22:44. Till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
• Matt. 24:51. Shall cut him asunder, and appoint (him) his portion
• Matt. 27:60. And laid it in his own new tomb.
• Mark 4:21. Is a candle brought to be put under a
• Mark 6:29. And laid it in a tomb.
• Mark 6:56. They laid the sick in the streets.
• Mark 10:16. Put (his) hands upon them, and

 

HE MANIFESTO OF LOVE

 

Love has always been God’s standard.  You say, “Well, wait a minute! What about the Ten Commandments?  That was a system of crushing legalism, not love.” No, it wasn’t.  The Ten Commandments were nothing more than ten aspects of love, verbalized.  The first four commands showed the characteristics of love toward God, and the last six showed the characteristics of love toward others.  Look at Exodus 20:3-17, and I’ll show you how the Ten Commandments define love.

 

Love Is Loyal (Commandment #`1)

“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” (v.3). Love is loyal, not fickle. God is just saying, “Will you love Me enough to not leave Me or some other god?” Love doesn’t make other gods or turn its back on the one, true God…it’s loyal.

 

Love Is Faithful (Commandment #2)

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any carved image, or any likeness of anything that I in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.” (vv. 66)

 

 

Love is Reverent (Commandment #3)

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.” (v.7).  If you love God, you’re not going to use His name in vain…you’re not going to drag His reputation through the gutter.  Why?  Because love is reverent.

 

Love is Intimate (Commandment #4)

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath day of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, or thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed; it.” (vv.8-11).  Love draws aside for intimacy.  God is saying, “If you love Me, you won’t just go live your lie apart from Me, you’ll draw near to Me.  You’ll want to be with Me and fellowship with me, so you’ll drop all your activities one day a week and just spend it with Me.  Love is intimate.

 

The Last Six Commandments Define Love Toward Men:

 

Love is Respectful (Commandment #5)

“Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (v.12).

 

Love is Harmless (Commandment #6)

“Thou shalt not kill.” (v.13).  True love would never murder another.  Love is harmless…it hurts no one.

 

Love is Pure (Commandment #7)

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (v.14)  Love always seeks the purity of another.  Adultery defiles, but love seeks only purity.

 

Love is Unselfish (Commandment #8)

“Thou shalt not steal (v.15).  Love gives, it doesn’t take.  Love is unselfish.

 

Love is Truthful (Commandment #9)

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” (v.16).  If you lie against your neighbor, you’re trying to hurt him, but if you love him, you’ll only tell the truth.

 

Love is Content (Commandment #10)

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidsevant, nor his ox, nor his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor’s.” (v.17).  Love is content with what it has.  It doesn’t want its neighbor’s possessions even to the point of saying, “I’m so glad you have all that stuff.  I am happy that you can possess it.”  Love toward God is loyal, faithful, reverent, and intimate; toward men it’s respectful, harmless, pure, unselfish, truthful, and content.  Jesus summed up the last six commandments in Mark 12:31 with the following statement;  “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  You see, even the Ten Commandments tell us to be like God.  We are to love like God loves.